Last week Bentley announced it’s opening a new personalisation studio in Westfield London, one of the city’s busiest, and most premium shopping destinations.

The new studio places Bentley alongside the world’s leading fashion designers and luxury brands, and taps into the personalisation trend to create an immersive experience that educates customers about the craftsmanship involved in making Bentley’s cars – a central element to what the brand stands for.

The studio’s interior design juxtaposes traditional materials used in Bentley cars, such as leather and wood, with an innovative app, Inspirator, which uses cutting-edge facial recognition technology to help customers to discover the car model that best suits them, and configure it to their individual tastes and needs.

The app guides customers through an immersive film directed by their facial and emotional reactions to the video, and based on their engagement, captured through a camera on their devices, it recommends a bespoke Bentayga or Mulsanne.

Cars are available at venue for customers who wish to view, or test drive models they’ve been suggested by the app.

The Westfield studio also features a range of other Bentley products, from car miniatures to luxury handbags, that extends the Bentley lifestyle beyond the world of automobiles.

Ikea has launched a new pop-up restaurant in London’s Shoreditch where guests can prepare Scandinavian meals, under instructions of a chef, before sitting down to eat with up to 20 of their friends.

IKEA combats the death of eating together with first DIY restaurantThe activation is grounded on Ikea’s insight that nowadays fewer people spend time cooking and eating together, so the pop-up has been designed to provide an experience that goes beyond just eating out with friends, and re-creates the atmosphere of an actual dinner party.

The idea of having guests to actually cook their meals, instead of just eating, ensures the experience stays true to the DIY nature of the Ikea brand. Guests are also encouraged to broadcast their ‘dinner parties’ under the hashtags #MakeMoreThanJustFood and #TasteOfSweden.

An Ikea homeware shop has been set up in the restaurant to sell kitchen products, as well as an Ikea kitchen showroom featuring units, fixtures and fittings.

There’s also a ‘Food for Thought’ workshop section where master classes will be hosted by Great British Bake-Off winner Edd Kimber, and others covering topics such as Swedish baking and clean eating.

The Dining Club runs 10-25 September, and it’s entirely free. However, guests must book a slot – for brunch, lunch or dinner – in advance.

British luxury carmaker Aston Martin has opened its first exclusive boutique in the heart of London’s Mayfair. The new store is located at No. 8 Dover Street — across from The Arts Club, and just a few doors down from the Christian Louboutin and Victoria Beckham shops — placing the Aston Martin brand in a prestigious mix of art, culture, shopping and luxury.

The boutique was designed to invite both existing and new customers to understand Aston Martins’ design philosophy, ‘The Art of Living’, and experience the brand beyond the world of car making.

Thus, despite having products on display — mostly from other brands, such as Hackett London, Marma London, Quintessence Yachts, Emilia Burano and Silver Cross — the store is less about retailing, and more of a destination where brand admirers can go to immerse into the exclusive lifestyle associated with the Aston Martin brand.

To keep visitors coming to the store, the new boutique will also host design classes, exclusive events, and art exhibitions — creating a destination where Aston Martin’s consumers can go to feel inspired, and to discover the latest trends in art and design.

A new shopping mall recently opened in Thonglor, Thailand, to celebrate local artisans, and promote wholesome living and sense of community to the country’s fast-growing middle class.

The Commons, as it’s called, aims to create an environment embedded in the local culture, where shoppers can spend quality time in the neighbourhood and feel a little closer to nature at the same time.

Visitors to the mall can take part in different workshops, community art projects, and talks during the day, as well as enjoying some live music at night.

‘Our intention is to first build a community, then a mall,’ say the founders.

The Commons features various green spaces with herb gardens, in which culinary workshops take place, and a common which hosts morning yoga sessions daily. In addition to its many communal areas, it also features artisan restaurants, bars, cafés, and a yoga studio.

The Commons is entirely built to cater to the needs of the local community, and was listed on The New York Times as one of the coolest, and most cultured new malls in the world.